Anglo-Egyptian Sudan Northern front, East Africa, 1940

in 1940, british had 3 infantry battalions in sudan , sdf, had 4,500 men in 21 companies, best-equipped being motor machine-gun companies, light machine-guns mounted in vans, lorries , few locally made armoured cars; sudan horse converting 3.7-inch mountain howitzer battery. platt held khartoum 2nd battalion, west yorkshire regiment, 1st battalion, essex regiment @ atbara , 1st battalion, worcestershire regiment @ gebeit , port sudan. sdf garrisoned frontier provincial police , motley of irregular scouts watch, harass , delay italians. should italians invade, units converge against attackers, exploit distance, inadequate roads , supply difficulties, impede advance. royal air force (raf) had 3 bomber squadrons, k flight, 112 squadron, 6 gladiator fighters @ port sudan , 430 flight, 47 squadron army co-operation. aircraft convenient port sudan , red sea far kassala , gedaref. in august, 203 group raf formed @ khartoum, guard eastern end of takoradi air route gold coast (ghana), 1 (fighter) squadron, south african air force (saaf), equipped gladiators.

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